HISTORIC WEEKEND: Lady Lancers earn 1st road point, 1st win ever

Despite playing two road games within 24 hours, the Rochester Lady Lancers made some club history this past weekend.

They secured their first road point and then went on to register their first win in their two-year history in United Women’s Soccer.

On a cold and rainy night at East Longmeadow High School in East Longmeadow, Mass. Saturday, Rochester and the New England Mutiny played to a 2-2 draw.

The Lady Lancers equalized the score in the 90th minute on a counterattack goal by Erin Eklund to steal a win away from the Mutiny in a match where the visitors could’ve taken all three points.

Rochester took the lead in the 56th minute as Jada Sergeant finished off a loose ball in the penalty area after a counterattack. In the 80th minute, Kate Howarth equalized. The Mutiny captain ran on to the ball and finished low under goalkeeper Kenna Kosinski (four saves).

Five minutes later, the Mutiny went ahead when Marissa Aniolowski’s cross from the right flank met Yo Tachibana’s head at the near post. The ball flew inside the far post for the 2-1 lead. Another counterattack doomed New England in the final seconds as Eklund beat Mutiny keeper Lysianne Proulx (two saves) to Mariah Williams’ cross from the right flank.

In the wildest affair of the weekend, the Lady Lancers defeated the Worcester Smiles in Worcester, Mass., 9-3, Sunday.

Worcester led on three different occasions in the first half, but each time Rochester responded with the equalizer.
With the 3-3 score lasting until the 65th minute, the Lady Lancers finally grabbed its first lead on Margaret Lee’s goal past goalkeeper Brittany Henderson (11 saves), assisted by Tyler Wingerden.

Only a minute later, Eklund put the Lancers up by two goals. The match completely unraveled for the Smiles in the last 10 minutes as Rochester scored four goals off substitute goalkeeper Rachael Armenti, who did not make a save in her 16-minute performance.

The duo of Brooke Barbuto and Eklund continued their terrific weekend performance as both players recorded hat- tricks. Those were the first hat-tricks in team history.

Rochester keeper Amy Coron made seven saves.

The Lady Lancers host the Connecticut Fusion in their home opener at Marina Auto Stadium in Rochester, N.Y. Saturday at 2 p.m.

About The Author

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered eight World Cups, seven Olympics and all 21 MLS Cups. He writes about New York City FC, New York Cosmos and the U.S. national team for Newsday and pens a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has two more in the works, including one about the Rochester Lancers.